From the Pastor’s Desk:
We live in a time and culture in which there seems to be no recognition of sin. That should not surprise those of Christian Faith, as more and more Americans no longer state they are Christian. Remove the moral foundation of the Bible and sin no longer exists. No one wants to take responsibility for their actions. Learning to say “I’m sorry” and “I forgive you” is part of growing into maturity. To admit when we are wrong and to ask forgiveness of the person, gives us some idea of what it means to sin against God and to ask forgiveness from Him.
Sin is saying no to God, to His laws, and to His will. Each of us have sinned and do sin and we need to have those sins removed. Removal of our sins is the beginning of a restoration of our relationship with God, it is a “reconciliation”. True reconciliation with God comes to us through Jesus Christ. He is total compassion and total love. Through His love upon the cross, He overcame sin. By His suffering and dying Jesus achieved the forgiveness of all our sins. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation we admit to ourselves and to God that our actions have hurt others and God because we have chosen not to follow God’s laws.
The reality of sin which is so ignored in our world today, makes clear the importance of forgiveness. Sin separates us from God, forgiveness and reconciliation repairs the damage due to sin. Our modern culture wants God and His laws removed from our world, and to replace them with human laws and lawsuits. It seems that there cannot be forgiveness and reconciliation in our modern world, without a lawsuit, or the threat of one.
Since sin offends God and others, only God Himself can truly make reparation for sinful offenses and injustices. Our law courts try to do so by imposing huge settlements upon offended people: in the news last week, another person’s lid came off the coffee cup and spilled hot coffee, a law suit is coming, a man sued in Florida because a car accident made him a homosexual (received $225,000), Southeast Airlines sued because a flight attendant said “Eenie Meeni Minie Mo” to the passengers, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimate $70-126 billion in frivolous lawsuits to doctors and hospitals.
The apparent absence of sin from our culture, means that the passion of Christ and the sacrament of penance and reconciliation has little meaning. But at the same time people are hurting and emphasis is placed upon relationships and the need to heal them when broken. Thus we have TV talk shows providing vivid accounts of confrontation, admission of guilt, acceptance and some type of reconciliation all right in front of millions of people. What a mixed up world! Non Catholics ask why do you want to go to a priest for confession, and yet millions are watching people’s real life sins on TV. Within the Sacrament of Reconciliation we are looking not only for human healing, but forgiveness into eternal salvation.